Agenda item

To receive presentations on a health economy basis outlining the extent to which plans for 2016/17 and beyond reflect the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, their contribution to the wider transformation agenda and the extent to which they assist integration and the “nine must-do’s”

(1)       Mr Ayres gave a presentation about West Kent plans for 2016/17 and beyond.  A copy of the presentation is available online as Appendix I to these minutes.

(2)       In response to a question about repatriation of services from London, he said there was a need to take a Kent and Medway level view and to work with partner organisations to develop a shared agenda that would make a meaningful contribution to minimising any deficit.

(3)       Ms Carpenter and Mr Perks gave a presentation about the East Kent plans for 2016/17 and beyond.  A copy of the presentation is available online as Appendix 2 to these minutes.

(4)       In response to questions, Mr Perks said that financial challenges for 2016/17 were similar to those of 2015/16 and that the allocation was sufficient to enable the required services to be delivered.  Ms Carpenter said that the financial challenges facing East Kent were not easy and it was essential to avoid agreeing any contracts that could not be afforded.  Ms Carpenter also said that issues relating to commissioning maternity services were about quality and meeting the expectations of patients rather than the re-design of service delivery.   

(5)       Ms Davies gave presentations about Swale and Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley plans for 2016/17 and beyond which are available on-line as Appendix 3 and Appendix 4 of these minutes.

(6)       In response to a question, she said that the gap in funding for the QIPP in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley had widened.  She also said that there some efficiencies that could be made but the challenge of closing the gap should not be under-estimated. 

(7)       In response to a suggestion that the gap in funding in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley was the largest in the country it was confirmed that Guildford and Waverley CCG had the biggest gap.

(8)       The emphasis on children, learning disability and mental health in all the plans was welcomed. 

(9)       During the discussion it was generally accepted there would be less money going forward however it was too early to quantify the precise impact on primary care.  In the short term work was underway to realise efficiencies including: acting on the findings of an audit conducted by the Canterbury Vanguard carried out in conjunction with the community trust that had identified potential efficiencies; reducing some of the pressures in primary care to increase its attractiveness as a place to work and thereby retain staff who had the option of retiring; and trialling different ways of working.

(10)     In the longer term, in order to deliver the STP's, it was necessary to bring together learning from new ways working being trialled such as paramedic practitioners working in the community, pharmacists working in general practice and various approaches to apprenticeships as well as identifying the appropriate skills mix and working with universities and other education providers to produce people with the right skills.

(11)     It was also suggested that similar issues applied to social care services, particularly, in relation to the redesign of jobs and the need to make them attractive in both the public and independent sectors across Kent.

(12)     Resolved that the presentations outlining the extent to which plans for 2016/17 and beyond reflected the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, their contribution to the wider transformation agenda and the extent to which they assist integration and the “nine must do’s” be noted.